Chapter 7

Janus

There isn’t much to go on here. So much of this is circumstantial, but it’s still worth checking out.

While I believe her when she says the cops are dirty, that doesn’t mean I’m just going to drop everything on a dime to help her.

If I’m going to jump in and take a look at this supremely dicey shit show, I need concrete proof. Otherwise, I’m gone.

It’s very early, the sun only just coming up as I mull this over. I’ve got a room at the same hotel, not only for convenience sake, but for the decent coffee.

I’ve already made an official ID for myself so that I can get into police stations and snoop around a bit. It’s a pretty easy task—one I’ve done hundreds of times before—but I know from personal experience that this can all go sideways at a moment’s notice.

These guys are heavy hitters and have a lot to lose. If there are cops on their payroll, I have to be doubly careful.

It’s nearing nine in the morning as I get dressed in a rather boring and plain brown suit. The cut is particularly cheap—got to look the part after all.

I take a cab to the station and introduce myself at the desk, taking out my fake badge. The smile I give the clerk is just as fake.

“Élenchos prosopikoú,” I say with my perfect Greek accent and a roll of my eyes.

He looks down at my papers, likely wondering why someone is there so early for a personnel audit.

The guy seems satisfied and waves me on through with a polite nod.

“Pigaínete epáno. Óla ta archeía eínai ekeí páno. O epitheoritís Tadashi sas periménei.”

Go ahead upstairs. All the files are up there. Inspector Tadashi is expecting you.

Sounds simple enough.

I thank the man and head up the polished wooden stairs he directed me to.

I take a moment to soak in the architecture of the building. I really do love the old buildings in most of the foreign cities. Maybe it’s due to my upbringing—if you want to call what I had an upbringing at all—but I’ve always found that there’s something romantic about old buildings.

As I climb the stairs, I think about all the sexy, provocative agents I could have pretended to be. It’s what they do in all the movies.

Trouble is, those guys get noticed. And I operate in a world where discretion is truly the better part of valor.

A personnel audit—no one is even going to notice. It’s boring and simple. It gives me access to the files of every single cop on the premises—and that’s where all the dirt is.

As I hit the top of the stairs, I see a large man with quick hands nearby. He’s speaking rapidly in Greek to a few younger guys. He lowers his voice as I approach, an effort to keep me from hearing what he’s saying, but I do of course.

“Vgeíte sto télos tis pólis kai ascholeíste me aftó to cháos. Tha prépei na meíno edó kai na ascholithó me aftó to éntomo.”

Head out to the end of town and deal with that mess. I’m going to have to stay here and deal with this insect.

The inflection he puts on the word makes it especially insulting, like a shit eater or blood sucker. I smile warmly as I approach.

I hold out my hand and walk up to him with short, quick steps. I make sure to slouch a little and fidget.

“Geia sas, epitheoritís Tadashi. Kaló na sas gnoríso, kýrie. Tha chreiasteí móno mia matiá sta vivlía sas símera. Aplá peíte mou poú na páo kai tha páro ta malliá sas. Den thélo na patíso ta dáchtyla ton podión sas í na kolýso típota.”

Hello Inspector Tadashi. Good to meet you, sir. I’ll just need to look over your books today. Just point me where to go, and I’ll get out of your hair. I don’t want to step on your toes or get in the way of anything.

I offer my hand, grinning at him as I do.

I want him to fuck off, to assume I’m a harmless twit.

He grunts at me and doesn’t bother to shake my hand. It’s just the response I want.

Tadashi is exactly what you’d expect from a middle-aged detective. He’s got the salt and pepper hair, the five o’clock shadow that may well be permanent, and a hard gaze that tells you he’s seen it all.

“Boró na rotíso giatí erevnoúme?”

May I ask why we are being investigated?

He tries to sound nonchalant, but there’s a hint of concern in his voice. I wouldn’t at all be surprised if he’s one of the cops included in the payroll of the traffickers.

“Akrivós diadikasía. Prépei na vevaiothoúme óti échoun katatetheí sostá óla ta iatriká pistopoiitiká kai oi ekthéseis symvánton.”

Just procedure. Need to make sure we have all the medical certificates and incident reports filed correctly.

He nods slowly, seemingly satisfied with my answer.

We’ve almost gotten to the records room, when an officer calls him from down the hall behind us.

The grizzled detective tells me to go ahead, that he’ll come by to check on me shortly.

That’s good enough for me, and I continue down to records.

I spend the next few hours reading personnel files and incident reports. Something fishy is definitely going on.

A few months ago, a handful of the city’s top cops started checking out the status of the refugees and complaints of kidnapping and murder in the area. Then, it suddenly dries up and there’s no further mention of any such incidents in the reports. The two lead detectives then, a Sergeant Bazyli and a Sergeant Hadwin, seem to have conflicting reports on the severity of the events.

Later reports then told me that Bazyli was shot and killed in a robbery, while Hadwin was promoted to head of operations for that district of the city.

I look closer and find that months before the incident, Hadwin got in trouble. He had been constantly taking loans against his pay and had other financial problems. About a month after he started investigating the refugees, reports of his money troubles stopped.

“What else are you hiding from me, Hadwin?” I mutter to myself as I click open a couple of more files.

I start organizing the files and get ready to download everything to a flash drive that Dani gave me. With these records, she’ll have the evidence she needs to prove there’s corruption among the local authorities.

However, this news makes the situation twice as dangerous, as it confirms her suspicions. If shit hits the fan here, it means that the cops won’t be coming to save us. They’ll be there to make sure we disappear.

I pull the small storage device from my pocket just as the door opens and reveals a rather displeased Inspected Tadashi.

“Échoume éna próvlima.”

We got a problem.

Well, this isn’t good.

Before I can ask what the problem is, he demands to see my papers.

I pull out my fake badge and official document stating my position and rights. Tadashi looks it over slowly.

I know I’m good. He’ll never see it’s a fake from just looking at it.

“Ta éngrafá sas faínontai entáxei. Ostóso, mílisa me to esoterikó symvoúlio prin apó líga leptá. Den échoume programmatisteí gia élencho. Den échoun kanéna archeío na stélnoun kanénan edó.”

Your papers appear to be in order. However, I spoke to the internal board a few moments ago. We aren’t scheduled for an audit. They have no record of sending anyone here.

That’s a bit of a damned inconvenience, but it’s not something I wasn’t ready for.

I allow my face to fall apart in six different ways of shock and surprise.

“Nai, skéftika óti aftó tha symveí. I epexergasía eíche éna logismikó kathystérisis símera to proí. Oi ergasíes chartioú den échoun piasteí. Lypámai polý. Sas léo ti, aplá epitrépste mou na katefthynthó gia énan kapnó kai épeita tha értho kai tha káno merikés klíseis. Boreíte na milísete me ton proïstámenó mou kai tha taktopoiísoume aftó to cháos.”

Yes, I thought this might happen. Processing had a software lag this morning. Paper work hasn’t caught up. I’m so sorry. Tell you what, just let me head out for a smoke and then I’ll come in and make a few calls. You can talk to my boss and we’ll sort this mess out.

Slowly, he hands my papers back. I know he’s torn between keeping me here no matter what, and the idea that I’m a harmless insect who’s not worth his time. He can’t conceive of the fact someone would appear this socially inept and awkward on purpose.

He lets me go but not before demanding I be in his office after ten minutes.

I nod frantically in agreement and leave the room.

I’m pissed that I wasn’t able to get my hands on the files for Dani, but I trust that she’ll be pleased to know that she’s right.

Just because she doesn’t have the concrete proof now doesn’t mean we won’t get our hands on it. It’s just going to take a bit longer than expected is all.

In the meantime, I’ve got to bail.